MAHE – A FRENCH RIVIERA IN THE MALABAR COAST

 

Pondicherry or Puducherry, a union territory of India is not only famous among the domestic tourists for beautiful beaches and French settlement but also has become a coveted destination for international tourists for Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville. Millions of international tourists arrive and stay there for months together either to enjoy the beaches or to attain spiritual liberty staying in the hermitage.

It seems that a mini France resides in the town of Pondicherry where the dwelling houses, restaurants, hotels, and even office buildings depict the presence of French architecture all over the town.

The union territory of Pondicherry has four districts viz. Pondicherry, Yanam, Karaikal, and Mahe. Out of four districts, Pondicherry and Karaikal are bound by Tamilnadu on three sides and Yanam is bounded by Andhra Pradesh on three sides. But surprisingly, the other district, Mahe is situated on the Malabar Coast of India bounded by Kerala on three sides, and perhaps it is the smallest district of India with a total area of 9 sq. km.

How Mahe became a part of Pondicherry

French people came to India for trade and commerce in the seventeenth century like British and finally made a settlement in four locations of southern India which subsequently became the French colony. After the war with the British, based on the “Treaty of Paris” (1763), the French got back all the colonies despite losing the battle.

After independence, the French colonies together got annexed with the Republic of India and hence the areas of French the settlement were placed within the administrative territory of Pondicherry. Thus, despite the distance gap of 620 km, Mahe became a part of Pondicherry.

How to Reach Mahe

Mahe railway station is located in the town itself and caters to the main railway track connecting all major cities of southern India. The nearest airport is Kozhikode in North Kerala, located at a distance of 87 km from the town. The public transport plying between southern Kerala and Wayanad district crosses Mahe town and hence the regular connection is available from all major cities of Kerala.

Boarding & Lodging

Different category of hotels including star ranking hotels is available in Mahe suiting to the budget of all types of tourists. The hotels located near the confluence of the river and overseeing the Arabian Sea can have a clear view of the beauty of the sunset.

Since the district is encircled by Kerala on all sides, the influence of Malayalam culinary can be observed. But the restaurants serving French cuisine are also welcomed by the local people for a change. In addition to the types mentioned above, normal continental and Indian common food are also available in the town.

Places to Visit

Walking down the streets of downtown, you can clearly find a replica of mini France in almost all the old structures. Of course, buildings and structures constructed in the post-independence period show local influence to a great extent.  A brasille (French pastry) and a cup of cappuccino in a restaurant on the street can refresh you to stroll along the streets of the town or on the bank of Mahe River in the lights of the setting sun.

The major tourist attractions are:

St Teresa’s Church

Tagore Park

Government House

Museum

Hillock and St George’s Fort

Boat House and Amusement Park

Light House and Water Front

Boating in Mahe River

Since all the locations are within a radius of around 3 km, tourists can simply visit all the places on foot and enjoy the riviera from the bank of Mahe River. The evening can be spent on the Hillock to have a panoramic view of the town on one side and the setting sun on the horizon on the other side.

The tourists can also visit Kappad Beach, around 45 km south of Mahe on way to Kozhikode. Apart from the beauty of the beach, it has important relevance as Vasco Da Gama, the great explorer landed on the beach in 1498 and the rest was history.    

My Experience

Since my visit to Mahe was on way to Kalpeta, district headquarters of Wayanad from Kozhikode airport, I could only spend a day reducing my stay at other locations. It was really a unique experience, as my visit to Pondicherry was long back and I hardly remembered the colonial infrastructure of the place.

I clearly remember spending the evening on the waterfront, viewing the setting sun on the western horizon, enjoying the cool breeze of the sea with a cup of coffee.

It was not only the place that allured me, but the entire ambiance of the place looked to be in the total holiday mood with tourists and local people moving on the roads in a leisurely manner tempted me to visit the place again with some more time to be spent in Mahe to have the flavor to the maximum.

I shall definitely suggest the tourists or travelers visiting North Malabar Region to spare at least one day to this French Riviera.              

 

Backlink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERWVg9Bavto

 

RISHIIKHOLA- A PLACE TO ROMANCE WITH UNWAVERING NATURE

 

If we consider Hills of Darjeeling as the crown of Bengal, then the entire Dooars is the necklace of Bengal. As there are glittering diamonds in some portion of the necklace, likewise, there are some spots in Dooars which are like diamonds that increase the beauty of the necklace many folds.

One such glittering diamond of Dooars is Rishikhola or spelt as Reshikhola. It is located in the in the foothills of the Himalayas in Kalimpong district of West Bengal bordering Sikkim. It is a place marked by peace, serenity, and tranquility.

In the midst of  the massive Himalayan ranges, on the bank of Rishi river locally known as Khola, it is one of the locations where tourist can have the comfort of the lap of mother nature, venture for a trek in the forest or hills and have nature walk along the banks of the meandering stream. Just like the lullaby of the mother, the stream ripples creating a rhythm of music touching the pebbles on the river bed.

How to Reach Rishikhola

The distance from the nearest railway head New Jalpaiguri and the nearest airport Bagdogra are 105 km and 110 km directly and hired vehicles are available in both locations. The cost of the fully hired vehicle will be between Rs.3500/- and Rs.4000/- depending upon seasons.

The budget travellers willing to avail public transport viz. bus or shared vehicle can reach from SNT Bus Stand or Tenzing Norgay Bus Stand to Pedong (Sikkim) or Kalimpong (West Bengal) and then hire a local taxi to Rishikhola. The cost will be hovering around Rs.500/- for dropping.

Vehicles on a sharing basis are also available from Kalimpong going towards Silk Route and the price varies depending upon availability.

Tourists visiting Rishikhola with their own vehicles can remain lest assured about ample parking space. The vehicles are to be parked in the political territory of Sikkim and they are to reach the cottages of homestay on foot crossing the stream through wooden bridges into the political territory of West Bengal.    

Where to Stay

There are many homestay arrangements along the banks of the Rishikhola stream. The homestays may not have five-star ambiances, but a homely atmosphere added with the affection of the host or hostess will definitely add flavor to the trip. The first homestay was initiated by Shri Sebastian Pradhan, who is popular as the father of homestay in this region is the most adored person among the tourists who regularly visit this location. With his support and influence, many other homestays have come up which are equally good. The booking has to be made over telephone or mail during peak seasons.

The tourists can also check the price and other facilities as also can book a homestay from www.humrohome.com

Boarding Arrangements

The package of homestay includes both boarding and lodging on per person per day basis. The morning starts with a cup of hot tea along with the first rays of sun followed by an excellent breakfast. After spending hours either strolling around the forests or enjoying a bath in the pure and cool water of the stream, one can have delicious lunch with available non-vegetarian items. The evening can be spent enjoying the setting of the sun, chirping of homecoming birds and, song of rippling stream added with tea or coffee and snacks. If one is lucky, one can have fried fish caught fresh from the stream followed by dinner at night. The host can arrange for bar-be-queue and camp-fire on a payment basis.

Things to do in Rishikhola

Nature has been bountiful and the entire place is in the midst of flora and fauna found in the foothills of the Himalayas. Since the area is absolutely free from pollution, nature stroll will be a favourite past time in the morning and evening. Lying back in the stream, enjoying the mild touch of rippling waves will definitely add few years in our lives. The chirping and visibility of known and unknown birds will likely turn the tourists to amateur ornithologists. Physical fitness can also be tested in form of a light trek along the foothills of Rishikhola. The tourists, fond of angling, can renew their addiction, catching small fishes flowing in the stream.

Children accompanying their parents can enjoy their time with the pets staying along with their host learn to identify the flora and fauna of the region.  

There are few day trips from Rishikhola which includes a trip to Aritar Lake popularly known as Lampokhri and have a visit to a local monastery and a small village.

Further, a day can be spent visiting old silk route through Rongli, Zelep La, Kupup, and Thambi View Point and proceed up to Baba Mandir at Tukla in Sikkim.

Kalimpong is the nearest town where every type of consumables and daily necessities are available. Along with marketing, the tourists can visit Delo, Durpin Dara, and Cactus Garden and have a breathtaking panoramic view of the flowing Teesta River from the top. On the way to Kalimpong or on the return journey the tourists can have photo stops of Pedong, Rikisum, and Algarah and, few other spots.

Vehicles can be arranged by the hosts of the homestay on a requirement basis. The charges vary depending upon season and fluctuation in fuel price.

Best Time to Visit

Visit Rishikhola can be made throughout the year barring monsoon as communication gets disrupted due to frequent landslides and the tourists have to remain confined to the cottages of the homestay. However, it is suggested that summer and winter are the best seasons to visit. In summer, blooming rhododendrons in the forests add beauty to nature and occasional snowfall in the region in winter can lead to a new experience.

What you will gain

It has been observed that people stoop down with work pressure need diversion of attention from the hectic urban lives for at least a few days. The stay in the midst of nature rejuvenates their energy to withstand the pressure for more time. It is a break from a monotonous cycle of life regaining fresh oxygen from mother-nature. It is better to go to these places with family or in groups so that the trip becomes more enjoyable.

  

 

 

TAMU – ACROSS THE BORDER OF MYANMAR

 

The political territory of India is bounded by Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, and Myanmar from three sides and by water bodies on the southern side. However, unlike Europe, we have limited scope to visit our neighbours without a passport except for Nepal and Bhutan.

However, the bordering territory of Myanmar could be accessed by Indians without a passport and I had the privilege of crossing the border during my visit to Manipur.

The earlier silk route used to connect Europe with South-East Asia through India which subsequently got abandoned on account of the opening of substitute routes and bitter political relations between the countries.

I along with my family visited Manipur for tourism and to witness the Sangai Festival last year. As a part of tourism, we visited Moreh, a bordering town of Manipur situated around 110 km from Imphal that connected Myanmar through their bordering town Tamu of Myanmar which is around 3 km away from the border. A friendship gate had been constructed in the consciousness of two countries and local residents were allowed to cross the border freely through that gate.

We, as tourists, wanted to have a glimpse of Myanmar, which before independence was a part of the Indian sub-continent. However, culturally there was a huge difference between mainstream Indians and Burmese (Myanmar was previously known as Burma) but there were similarities with the people of Manipur and Nagaland.

How to Reach

There was a bus service from Imphal to Moreh covering a distance of around 110 km but it was difficult to visit Myanmar and return on the same day on account of the restricted time of entry to Myanmar. It would be better to hire a vehicle from Manipur and have a return trip programme for the whole day so as to make the visit fruitful. Otherwise, the tourists would have to stay at Moreh for the night.

Procedure to cross Border

A gate called “Friendship Gate” had been constructed between India and Myanmar to have access to citizens of both countries. The gate to cross the Indian border is open from 08.00 hrs. (MST) in the morning to 16.00 hrs. (MST) in the afternoon The Indians who want to visit Tamu would have to return on the day itself by that time. The Indians would have to deposit identity (UDAI/Aadhar Card or Voter Card) with the immigration authorities of Myanmar and pay Rs.20.00 as charges. A slip would be issued against the deposition of the identity card as documentary evidence.

What did we see there?

There were huge markets on both sides of the border and people were allowed to carry the product of each country to others. In Nampholon (Myanmar) market, mostly the Chinese goods were being sold other than normal consumables.

After crossing the gate, we took an auto-rickshaw to cover the nearby sightseeing. There were shuttle auto-rickshaws charging Rs.20/- per person to transport passengers from Nampholon to Tamu covering a distance of 3 km. Since we were in a group, we hired a full auto-rickshaw which would show us a few locations and again carry us to the border. The charges fixed was Rs.500/-. We could pay all the charges in Indian currency. The auto-rickshaw moved through Moreh-Tamu road and we noticed that vehicles were moving through the right track instead of the left track as prevailing in India.

The language was really a problem as the auto-rickshaw driver could not explain to us the details of the town despite trying his best to clarify in Burmese. We also tried to seek clarification in Hindi and English but both of us had to restrict within sign language. We were first shown a Shiv temple in Tamu town. On the way, we found that most of the gents and ladies were clad in lungee and the ladies had a white lotion type paste on their cheeks. It was locally called ‘Thanka’ and it was used as herbal cosmetics to keep them young. It was a small town without any specialty. The houses were mostly single-storied with tinned roofs and even if few houses were multistoried but still the roofs were tinned. The houses which seemed to be owned by less affluent people were made of bamboo and tin.  

We visited a few pagodas, sporadically constructed at different locations. Out of them, one pagoda “Phungi Chow” was famous, and Burmese regularly visited to pay tribute to Lord Buddha. The pagoda was located at an elevation and we had to climb around one hundred steps to reach the main platform. However, we could have a panoramic view of the town from the top of the platform.  However, one of the pagodas was worth seeing and we found that the architecture and painting were really superb. But because of the language problem, we could not ascertain the proper name. After the visit to a few other pagodas and chortens (burial grounds of monks), the auto-rickshaw driver took us to the Tamu market for lunch with the advice to complete lunch and marketing by two hours and he would pick us up for return journey to the border.

Our Lunch in Tamu

We entered a restaurant near the market and tried to select the items from the menu card. To add to our agony, every item indicated in the card was in Burmese and the price in Burmese currency. We were not able to ask ingredients as other members were not inclined to consume pork. We tried to explain to the owner that we needed any food made of chicken but it was a damn failure on our part. Lastly, I had to grunt like pig and crow like cock to make him understand that we wanted chicken and not pork. It was finally understood and we showed the plate of another customer exactly what was our need. 

The food, as per our order, was served along with a big bowl of soup with leafy vegetables and herbs. We tried to share the big bowl amongst us and asked for small empty bowls with spoons. After paying a lot of attention, the owner went to the kitchen and came back with another big bowl of soup. We were literally shocked to find so much liquid for us. When our words and gestures failed, the hostess seemed to understand our entire intention and brought another big bowl of clear soup and smiled in such a fashion that she had succeeded to understand our language. We realized that we were in the total soup. Then it was our decision to use a tumbler as a soup bowl and liquidify ourselves. After the lunch was over, the restaurant owner prepared the bill and after the conversion of currency, we paid the bill in Indian currency. The charges were moderate and it seemed that they did not charge any amount for the extra bowls of soup.

After the so-called historic lunch, we strolled in the Tamu market for about an hour and kept ourselves engaged in window shopping.

At the scheduled time, our auto-rickshaw the driver came and collected us from the market itself for our return journey to Nampholon from where we returned to India in the afternoon.

Our Experience

Though we did not cover the main Myanmar, yet it was a glimpse of the country which was once a part of the subcontinent. The hospitality of the local people was good despite the language problem and we could communicate with few Nepali vendors in the Tamu market.

So friends, if you intend to visit Manipur any time, please spare some time to have a trailer of our neighbouring country and enjoy their culture, lifestyle, and cuisine. We assure you that you will gain new experience and lose nothing.   

 

https://goingsomewhere.blog/crossing-the-myanmar-india-border/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OmXlvMkDvE

 

RISHIKONDA – WHERE WAVES KISS THE MOUNTAINS

 

We often find tourists seeking information about a location where they could find beaches and mountains on the same spot so as to enjoy them both in one stroke. The first name which comes to our mind is Goa or few beaches of Konkan coast. However, too much publicity and the onslaught of tourists from all over India and abroad has changed the locations like the crowded city of Mumbai or any other metropolis. The cost of stay has skyrocketed especially in the peak seasons and the solitude that one seeks for from the tensed city life is found to be missing in those places. 

But don’t be so disheartened. Everything is not lost. There are still a few locations where you can really find the same type of environment and can view the same type of scenery where the waves kiss the mountains. It is Rishikonda or pronounced as Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh which is equally palatable for the tourists who want to enjoy the serenity and tranquillity of nature. The only difference is Goa is on the west coast of India where the Arabian Sea touches the feet of Western Ghats and Rishikonda is in the east coast of where the Bay of Bengal kisses the feet of Eastern Ghats.

How to Reach Rishikonda

Rishikonda Beach is accessible from Visakhapatnam railway station covering a distance of around 14 km and from Visakhapatnam airport at a distance of around 16 km. Both the railway station and the airport are connected with all the big cities of India.

Where to Stay

The superb staying arrangement in Rishikonda is Haritha Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Resort which overlooks the ocean from the top of the hill with a panoramic view of the entire beach and beyond. There are around forty rooms of various standards with the cost varying from Rs.2500/- to Rs.5800/- per day for a couple rooms with children. Majority of the rooms are having a direct view of the blue water enjoying the strong breeze blowing from the sea. There are two ways of reaching the beach from the resort viz. by motorable road covering a distance of around 500 meters or climbing down 200 staircases from the resort arena. The rooms can be booked directly from the website www.aptdc.in and the rooms can be selected based on the requirement.

Though there are few hotels including luxury hotels near Rishikonda beach, it is preferred to stay in APTDC resort because of the location and also transparency in deals.

  

Where to Eat

The resort is having a beautiful restaurant in its compound wherefrom breathtaking view of sea and mountains can be enjoyed along with delicious food. The food served in the restaurant is commonly south Indian, but continental and Chinese food is also available based on pre-booked order. Further, there are few standard food and snack joints near the beach, the quality of which are found to be equally good.

How to Enjoy

Like any other beach, strolling on the sand along the cooling waves is most enjoyable. The tourists can take a long walk along the beach without being scared of quicksand or any other problem. The Bay of Bengal is comparatively rougher than the Arabian Sea. Hence, the size and sound of waves will be an added attraction. But that does not prevent bathing of the tourists on the beaches during morning and afternoon. There are several sea sports including water scooter, kayaking, sea gliding and other games which are being enjoyed by gen-next.

If one does not want to remain confined in one beach, one can easily move to a Yarada Beach which can also be enjoyed for some time. Further, first-timer can earmark a day or two for the visit of the following sightseeing.

Ramakrishna Beach (12 km from the city centre)

Submarine Museum (12 km from the city centre)

Kailashgiri (15 km from the city centre)

Dolphin’s Nose (4 km from the city centre)

Simachalam Temple (9 km from the city centre)

Matsyadarshini Aquarium (11 km from the city centre)

Bheemili Beach (34 km from the city centre)

Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary (16 km from the city centre)

Zoological Park (16 km from the city centre)

Vuda Park (14 km from the city centre)

Bojjannkonda (10 km from the city centre)

Lawson’s Bay Beach (14 km from the city centre)

Gangavaram Beach (8 km from the city centre)

Sagar Nagar Beach (17 km from the city centre)

A couple of days can be spared for covering all the above locations in a comfortable manner.

My Experience

Since I reached Rishikonda at night around ten o’clock, I could only enjoy the view of the entire Vishakhapatnam city on one side and the white foams of the wave bumping on the shore with glittering phosphorous. The roaring sound of the waves was insisting me to touch the water of Bay of Bengal at that moment but somehow I restricted myself in the room and called it a day with the delicate cuisine of the restaurant.

The sunrise at Rishikonda was marvellous. Since the eastern side of the hotel was absolutely open with cool easterly blowing from the sea, sprinkling moisture particles on our body. Staring at the rising sun with a cup of hot tea sitting the balcony of our room had been the ultimate luxury. The blackish colour of the mountains gradually turned to green with the touch of the first rays of the sun, fading away from the mist and creating a bright atmosphere.

Climbing down the staircase, we reached the beach and had stroll for hours together witnessing the enjoyment of young generations either bathing in the sea or throwing water at each other. The small vendors had opened their outlet serving tea and breakfast.

Since we had visited all the sightseeing locations a couple of times, we decided to spend the entire schedule enjoying the changing colours of the sea with the change of position of the sun.

It was purely a leisure holiday and our objective was to spend a couple of days in the resort and on the beach, far away from the madding crowd and rat race of civilization. In the afternoon a tribal troop organized a traditional dance programme sponsored by the department of tourism in the resort arena itself.

After enjoying a couple of days in Rishikonda, we proceeded for Araku Valley by train that would be another part of the story.

Friends, I admit Goa is always a coveted destination for any national or international tourist. But why not enjoy once the other side of the country where some other natural beauty is waiting for you. 

   Backlinks 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ytejI1VcwM

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Num0_punqXI

FLAMSBANA - THE INCREDIBLE RAILWAY JOURNEY IN NORWAY

 

Railway journey had always been an integral part of travel. It carried the highest number of passengers with an extensive network. But there were some railway journeys where the travel played a major role and not the connectivity. In India, Darjeeling Himalayan Railways, Shivalik Railways from Kalka to Shimla, Nilgiri Railways from Mettupalayam to Udagamandalam and few other routes had importance because of its journey. Similarly, Bernina Express, Jungfrau Railway, Trans-Siberian Railway, Rovos Rail, etc., had occupied an important place in the world railway map.

Flamsbana railway journey of Norway had been considered one of the best travels out of the ten best railway journeys of the world. The train started from Myrdal to Flam covering a distance of 14 km in one hour through the elevation of 867 meters.

Myrdal railway station was situated on the main track from Oslo to Bergen. The journey from Oslo to Bergen was itself mesmerizing especially the zone between Al and Gylo, but we looked forward to enjoying the beauty of the Flamsbana railway.

As a part of the Scandinavia tour, we planned to land at Bergen from Oslo in the evening with the programme of spending a day at Bergen and then visit the fjords of Flam. But our programme got disrupted as we were a day behind schedule on account of the cancellation of a railway connection from Oslo to Bergen on account of some holiday. Since we had an open ticket, we booked a ticket for the next day. As a result, we did not get a full day to enjoy Bergen which was really a beautiful place bounded by snowcapped mountains and varieties of flowers all along the roadsides and gardens.

Bergen to Myrdal

The next morning, we started from Bergen to reach Myrdal so as to catch the connecting train from Myrdal to Flam. The journey for around two hours was so attractive, that we could not remove our eyes from the windows to have an outside view.

Myrdal Railway Station

We reached the Myrdal railway station as per the schedule and found that our train from Myrdal to Flam was waiting in the railway station for us. It was an unreserved train and unlike other trains in Europe, it was a free seat arrangement. As learnt earlier, we took our seat on the right side of the compartment to have another stunning view of the waterfall in Kjosfossen railway station.

Myrdal station was itself unique, with snow-capped mountains on all directions, stretches of snow along the railway tracks, and a heap of snow on the platform. It was a small station with two railway tracks on either side of the platform. The railway office and a restaurant were the only two structures on the platform. Having availed the gap between two journeys, we had cappuccino and snacks from the restaurant, enjoying the mesmerizing beauty of nature at a 360-degree angle.  

Myrdal to Flam

As the train pushed off, the awesome beauty of mountainous stretches opened before our eyes, with a number of waterfalls, rippling streams coming down from mountains, bumping against rocks, creating foam all along their routes, lush green trees, bushes, and unknown varieties of flowers seeking rays of the sun. It was a single-track route, few tunnels on the way, and the train like a serpent, moving at a very slow pace allowing us to enjoy nature to our satisfaction.

The stations, on the way, were very small with minimum passenger footfalls as the majority of the passengers were tourists from different parts of the world who came to enjoy the journey as also the fjords of Flam. The television screen in the compartment was also showing the entire route as clicked in the camera of someone. There were announcements furnishing information about forthcoming stations.

We got detained in a railway station where a train from the other side crossed us, which was a common issue in the case of singletrack. But the detention was not at all boring as we had scope to enjoy every bit of nature which we could see from the railway compartment.

Kjosfossen Waterfall

The train ultimately started after the crossing and gradually, we could find that we were in the midst of a cloud that entangled the entire train. After crossing a tunnel the train slowed down and we could see a huge waterfall just beside the railway platform throwing gushes of water from the top and flowing in a series of streams. The drops of water, being blown by the strong wind were making us sacred with their heavenly touch. Despite being cold, all the passengers got down from the train to enjoy the waterfall from a close distance as the train was to stop there for five minutes. The name of the station was Kjosfossen. Soon a song with music could be heard from the top of the rocks where a dilapidated hut could be seen. A lady looking like a witch, in red attire, came dancing on the rock in the tune of the song. The lady was changing position on a continuous basis moving from one rock to another within the blinking of an eye. The song and performance of the witch continued for around five minutes and suddenly the lady disappeared with the stoppage of song and music. The performance was created to entertain the passengers of the route. It seemed there was a story behind the particular episode which remained unknown as neither any of the tourists nor the railway people could explain the story behind it except that the song was composed based on Nordic mythology. But it was definitely a new experience.

There was a warning signal from the engine and guard with the request to embark on the train as the scheduled time for enjoying the waterfall was over. All the passengers rushed towards their compartment and soon the train started with the whistle.

We were spellbound to see the scenery outside. All the mountains were crowned with snow and the green trees seemed to be their garments on the body. The rippling stream parallel to the railway track was flowing in the opposite direction with the signal that even if we were going to visit the eternal beauty of the world, we would have to return in the direction of the stream.

Our journey continued for fifteen more minutes at the same pace. The railway track meandered along the side of the mountains. Each bend depicted a new picture of nature as if we were in a movie hall enjoying a series of creation of God.

We reached the platform of Flam Station, where the railway track terminated after an hour's journey from Myrdal. The station was of very small size with a few food joints and souvenir shops on the platform itself. The station was neatly maintained despite being wet because of continuous rain. Residual snow of the previous night could be seen on the railway track and also on the sheds of the tenements on the platform.

So, having enjoyed the spellbound journey from Myrdal to Flam, we proceeded to the next part of our programme in the form of experiencing the fjords of Norway.

How to reach Myrdal

There were two ways to reach Myrdal either by road or by train from Oslo. It would be better if the modes of transport were different in an upward and downward journey. Though the journey to Myrdal was included in Eurail tickets, the journey between Myrdal and Flam was considered as a tourist train and separate tickets were to be purchased. The cost of a one-way ticket would be around 67 Euros.  

The journey from Oslo to Myrdal would be between four to five hours depending upon the speed of the train whereas the journey from Bergen to Myrdal would be within two hours. Hence, if one wanted to make a day trip it would be better to reside at Bergen and then reach Myrdal. The day journey from Oslo to Flam via Myrdal in one day would be tiring and less time would be available for enjoying Flam.    

 Experience

I had the opportunity to experience travel in the majority of these types of the railway in India, but it had been my first exposure to the world-class railway journey with a proper ambiance and properly maintained compartments. It was an amazing feeling throughout the travel period especially the nature outside bewildered us with its mesmerizing beauty which I could not help sharing with my readers.

Video Courtesy: YouTube